HYDERABAD: What’s common to ‘Game of Thrones’, ‘Lord of the Rings’, ‘World of War Crafts’ and Hyderabad’s very own ‘Kali Yuga: The Ascension’? They are all fantasy genre series that have been global bestsellers as books or television series and the last one, Kali Yuga, aspires to be one.
A book by Hyderabadi author Jatin Gupta, it is a tale which dates back to many centuries ago, set in the mythical land of Shivpuri in the great Himalayas.
Jatin, a resident of Malaysian Township at Hi-Tec City is the Head of Business Operations at a leading gaming company. A management professional with over 15 years of work experience in consumer product, he says that travelling and getting nostalgic about the stories that he heard from his grandparents is what made him write the book.
“In the last two years, I was reading a lot of fiction, fantasy, mythology genres and I read or watched Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, World of WarCraft (a video game which has spawned novels and movies too). I feel that mythological stories, which our parents and grandparents narrated to us during our bedtime, triggers our imagination like no other genre. Having grown up on such stuff, and thanks to my fertile imagination, one find day I started writing a fantasy book last year,” says Jatin.
Although he admits that his 350-page book published by Rupa Publishers is now doing well, having sold over 2,500 copies in the last eight weeks or so, he did face rejections from over 23 publications prior to hitting the bull’s eye.
“After I finished 120 pages, I ran it by my wife Harika who read it like a book lover and she said it was gripping. I then sent it to my friend Karan Chawla and his wife who are part of Bollywood and reads film scripts as part of their work. They both read about 350 pages and gave me the thumbs up to complete it and get it published.”
Although his first book was ‘Winning Like Saina: Think & Succeed like Nehwal’ in 2018 of self-help genre, Jatin says fantasy is his kind of genre.
As is the trend with current books, Jatin also brought out a book trailer (a book that is creatively packed to look like a movie trailer), which he said worked out well and helped in more sales of the book.
A full-time management professional and a hands-on dad of two toddlers, Jatin says that he took over a year to write the book and his favourite time was usually after 12 am or before 5 am.
With the same enthusiasm, he wants to write part of the book and bring it out next year. For now, he is looking forward to do some book signings and readings in Mumbai and Bengaluru for his 240-page book priced at Rs 295. ‘Kali Yuga: The
Ascension’ sets out to answer this question. Guru Parshuram, guide, and leader of the five outcast clans of the Rudrasena-Him Manavs, Bhuals, Aghoras, Nand Garajnas and Agneyas-prepares for the prophesied reincarnation of Lord Anjaneya in one of the clans. What follows is a rollercoaster ride that takes you deep into a mystical, magical world of honour, valour, bravery and self-sacrifice, as the timeless clash of good and evil unfolds.